Cappella Espiatoria

About the museum

The Cappella Espiatoria stands in Monza, on the spot where King Umberto I was killed by the anarchist Gaetano Bresci on 29 July 1900, at the end of a sporting event. His son and successor, Vittorio Emanuele III, wanted a memorial in his honour and entrusted the design to the architect Giuseppe Sacconi, author of Umberto I's tomb in the Pantheon and of the Altare della Patria in Rome.

The first stone was laid on 29 July 1901. Sacconi died in 1905, leaving the work unfinished. It was completed by Guido Cirilli, who made some changes to the design, and the monument was inaugurated in July 1910, ten years after the regicide.

The complex stands in the centre of a large park, with an artistic gate by Alessandro Mazzucotelli at the entrance and a large exedra covered with two-colour pebble mosaic at the back. It comprises a chapel, decorated with mosaics in the Byzantine style and a floor of coloured marbles, and a crypt in the form of a Greek cross, whose mosaic ceiling depicts a starry sky with the arms of the House of Savoy. Above the chapel rises a 35-metre stele of Oggiono stone, with a bronze Pietà by Ludovico Pogliaghi at its base. Since 2014 the monument has been managed by the Ministry of Culture, now through the Direzione regionale Musei Lombardia.

Highlights

• 35-metre stele of Oggiono stone with a bronze Pietà by Ludovico Pogliaghi
• Greek-cross crypt with a starry-sky mosaic and the arms of the House of Savoy
• Chapel with mosaics in the Byzantine style
• Black marble marker showing the exact spot of the regicide
• Artistic gate by Alessandro Mazzucotelli and the park
• Bronze wreaths sent from around the world in homage to the king

Permanent exhibition

• Cappella Espiatoria – Visit to the memorial with its park, the mosaic-decorated chapel and the Greek-cross crypt, on the site where Umberto I was killed.

Founded

1910

Operated by

Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei Lombardia

Director

Giulia Valcamonica

Visitors per year

approx. 12,137

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; booking is optional.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Because of its layout, the monument is only partly accessible to people with mobility impairments. Wheelchair users enter through the side vehicle gate and can visit the park and the crypt, but the terrace and the chapel are not accessible. For visitors with sensory impairments there are tactile panels, raised-line drawings and audio-video guides in LIS and ISL. The museum takes part in the Musei Polisensoriali project.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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